Geisha
by RedPandaChan
Summary: A newly initiated geisha is thrown into a world of politics, scandals and a level of bastard that she'd never experienced. How can she survive this, and what is it with this Kazekage? GaaSaku. Rated M for lemons and character deaths.
1. Chapter 1

_My first Naruto fic! And my first fic overall! Hope you like it!_

_I do not own the characters of Naruto, and this is the only time I'll say so._

_**Geisha**_

**Chapter One**

She stood there, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Today was her first day as a full-fledged geisha. After nearly four years in training as a maiko, she'd finally been welcomed as a proper geisha in her formal erikae o suru ceremony the previous night. She smiled triumphantly at her reflection. Her onee-san was sooo proud of her, she knew. Sakura smiled as she smoothed her kimono along the sides. It was time to show Shizune-neesan that she'd done well in teaching her.

Ever since she'd entered the okiya, Sakura had held Shizune in awe. The woman was amazing at her work. The only one better, admittedly, was Tsunade-sama, the okaa-san of the tea-house. But that was to be expected, naturally. Every geisha knew of Tsunade, the legendary 'Slug Princess.' She was the most famous geisha that was still around, having been to ozashiki that important and prominent men attended.

These days, though, the woman dedicated her time to ensuring that the following generations of geisha in Konoha didn't forget the traditions that made them the most sophisticated and elegant in the lands. It was rumoured that she was retiring, however, having amassed more than enough wealth to support herself for the rest of her life. Naturally, there was gossip about who would take over the teahouse in her stead.

Sighing, Sakura turned and made her way to the main room of the building where several of her 'sisters' waited. Tonight they would be entertaining at a party for a prominent leader and his guests, which also included other leaders as well. That meant that a lot of security would be on the place, so no chance of anyone suspicious or anything getting in. Good. She smiled lightly to herself. Tonight was going to be fun.

Sure enough, hours later Sakura sat chatting with some nobleman who seemed to be all puffed up with how important he apparently was. Trade was the main topic of their discussion, and it was good that Sakura was up to the challenge of meeting him on equal terms intellectually. His name was Shimizu Ryouji, and he was quite clever, despite her initial opinion of him.

"Oh, Ryouji-kun," Sakura said. "You really have a good hold on what is going on in the world today!"

Ryouji smirked. "Well my dear Sakura-chan," he told her, "if I wasn't, I wouldn't have been able to become rich enough to afford your company tonight now, would I?"

She giggled coyly. "You're such a flatterer!" she told him.

As the night wore on, Sakura was introduced to many other important figures who wanted to hear her sing for them or simply to talk. By the end of it all, she'd managed to charm every man who'd been there. Shizune-neesan came up to her once the last customer left, a delighted grin on her face.

"Sakura-chan, you were marvellous!" she enthused. "You charmed them all, and we earned so much money tonight!"

Sakura returned the smile. "I'm glad," she said. "I was sooo nervous though! But I did it, I'm definitely a full geisha now!"

"That you are," came a voice, and the two women turned to see Tsunade-sama had come up to them. "Sakura, I have an important event coming up soon at another teahouse, and I want you to attend it. You've shown tonight how skilled you are with the men, and I want you to showcase these talents at the Kazekage's ozashiki next week."

Shizune gasped. "Are you sure she's ready for that, Tsunade-sama?" she asked. "That is the biggest event of the entire year, there will be hundredsof geisha, _thousands_ of guest!"

"Do you not have faith in the girl?" Tsunade asked rather calmly.

"Of course I do!" the brunette argued. "It's just that Sakura's only just become a full-fledged geisha! This is something that more experienced women should attend!"

"And so they will," the older woman said. "But I want some fresh talent in this year. There are three other new girls who will be attending, and all their former nee-sans will be with them. So you needn't worry."

"Well, that's all very good, but I…" Shizune trailed off as she realised what had just been said. "Does this mean that _I _will be going as well?"

"You were the girl's nee-san, were you not?" Shizune nodded and Tsunade went on, "I expect both of you to be ready for this next Friday night. Get plenty of rest beforehand, as you may both be up the entire night entertaining. I will see you then."

She turned and exited the room, leaving both Sakura and Shizune shell-shocked by the news. "We're going to the Kazekage's ozashiki," Sakura mumbled, then shouted, _"We're going to the Kazekage's __ozashiki__!"_

* * *

For a whole week, the two women planned everything they wanted to do at the dinner, who they wanted to talk to. Shizune had heard of a very important official who always frequented parties like this. His name was Hatake Kakashi, and she'd heard that he was cool and mysterious. Sakura on the other hand wasn't interested so much in who she would be entertaining, but more on what they would talk about. Politics was a subject she enjoyed immensely, and she wanted to make sure she didn't miss out on anything.

The day of the dinner got closer and closer, and at one point Tsunade came around to help them 'upgrade' their kimonos and make sure that their accessories were also up to scratch. They were even given new makeup that was far superior to their own, making them wonder if Tsunade-sama had been deliberately holding out on them before. Naturally she denied this when they confronted her. Oh well.

When the big day arrived, they were going to be spending hours preparing for the ozashiki. "The main thing is to keep your composure," Shizune told Sakura. "Keep smiling, but not too widely. You're supposed to be charming, not gauche. And above all, remember never to argue with whoever you're entertaining. That's particularly important. Also, watch out for men who expect more than dancing and talking. Despite everything, there are men who try things with geisha."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know, Shizune-neesan!" she exasperated. "Don't worry, you'll be even prouder that you were my nee-san tonight!"

When they were finally ready, Tsunade-sama arrived with four others to escort them. "You're our last stop!" she declared. "This is Ino and Deidara, Tenten and Anko. Girls, this is Sakura and Shizune."

Greetings and bows were made, then Tsunade shooed them along and they began the walk to the place that would host the ozashiki, really the only venue big enough for such an event. It was a grand teahouse that encompassed an entire block in the street, and could seat five thousand guests and two thousand geisha. There would be so many people there tonight that Sakura knew it was unlikely that she would even be able to see every single face.

But it was definitely going to be a night to remember, that much was unavoidable. As they reached the giant teahouse, Sakura could already hear the music and feel the celebratory atmosphere, and adrenaline pumped through her veins as she crossed the threshold and into a whole new arena…

_Maiko – apprentice geisha_

_Onee-san and Nee-san – older sister_

_Erikae o suru – ceremony in which a maiko becomes a full geisha. Means 'turning of the collar'_

_Okiya – geisha houses_

_Okaa-san – mother_

_Ozashiki – banquets and such in which people are attended by geisha_

_The most important thing to do is… __**REVIEW!!!!!!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Geisha**_

**Chapter Two**

Bright lights assailed her eyes, but she managed to keep hold of her equilibrium. Blinking furiously, Sakura looked around to see that there really were thousands of people here, and she could see at the far end, the dais where the Kazekage sat with his closest family, friends and advisors. There were so many people here, it was almost overwhelming her, but she mentally shook herself and ordered herself to get a grip.

The other girls were moving forward, and Sakura quickly stepped up to stay close to Shizune. There was no way she wanted to get lost in the crowd. If she did, there was no telling when or _if _she'd see anyone familiar again for the rest of the night! So she made sure that she stayed in sight of them all.

A man came forward and smiled. "You must be the ones Tsunade mentioned," he said by way of greeting. "My name is Baki. It is my duty, along with others, to make sure that the night goes smoothly. We already have the names of the guests you will be entertaining tonight. Ino and Deidara, the two of you will be entertaining with a group in the forward section."

Two people came forward to guide them away, and Sakura realised that the six of them were being split up. But at least it seemed that they weren't going to be thrown to the lions, so to speak.

"Tenten and Anko," Baki continued. "The two of you will be entertaining in the back east section."

Again, two people came forward, and the two women were led away. Sakura resisted gulping nervously as Baki went on, "Finally, Sakura and Shizune. The two of you will be multi-tasking, in a way. Firstly, you will be serving tea at the west head table. Then Shizune will join the east head while Sakura entertains for the head table."

It was impossible not to gasp. "By herself?" Shizune demanded, but Baki shook his head.

"There will be others there," he assured her. "Sakura will be one of many, and will not be left alone. Do not worry about her, she'll be fine. Besides, Tsunade-sama has expressed much faith in all three of the new girls here tonight. She believes in them."

Sakura felt herself blush, and was eternally grateful that her makeup hid it. "Tsunade-sama really has that much faith in us?" she asked, and was answered with a nod.

"If you'll both come this way, I'll take you to the west head."

Sakura and Shizune followed Baki along the maze of tables, and the pink haired girl wondered once more at the sheer volume of people. This had to have taken months to plan! Maybe Tsunade-sama was wrong, she felt way in over her head! Many people turned to stare at them as they passed, making her feel self-conscious as well, even though just as many people ignored their passing.

Eventually they reached their destination, and the nerves that she'd been feeling slowly vanished. This was because Sakura had repetitively been telling herself that she was a geisha, and that crowds did _not _intimidate her! Baki indicated for them to sit beside particular guests, and the two of them complied. The table had thirty guests, and it looked like Sakura and Shizune were the last two assigned to the table.

Obviously, not every guest was personally attended. Mostly it was the higher ups that got that privilege. The other guests mostly had one geisha per table, and then there were the girls dancing in the middle of the room, as well as the ones singing and playing music. Looking over at the head table, Sakura saw that the Kazekage had two geisha's serving him. The man that she was serving was ignoring her for the most part, caught up in an animated conversation with the man beside him.

So all she had to do was make sure that his tea stayed full. Sakura sighed. Easy assignment. For now anyway. Baki had said that she would be singing soon, after all. And for the head table, too! Breathing deeply, she attempted to settle her resurfacing nerves.

For about three or so hours, she simply sat there, refilling tea from kettles that servants brought over. Her 'assignment' had continued to ignore her, and Sakura felt that as long as she kept his cup filled, it would continue that way. Finally, after just sitting there and not really doing much, Baki returned and apologised profusely for 'usurping' the official guy's geisha. But the man simply waved them both away with a _very_ bored twist of his hand.

"Are you ready to sing now?" Baki asked, and, swallowing almost audibly, Sakura nodded.

"Is there a particular song that I have to sing?" she asked.

"Ironically enough," she was told, "you're going to be singing _Sakura, Sakura_."

Well, at least she definitely knew the song. Because of the colour of her hair, Sakura had learned everything she could with absolutely anything related to cherry blossoms, just so that she would never get caught out.

"Ok," she said. "Lead the way."

Baki led her over to a small area where she would be singing, and from the setup, she realised that it was going to be a solo performance. Nerves hit her instantly, but Sakura forcefully pushed them down. Just as they reached the area where she was going to perform, a strange tingling sensation ran along her spine, and she looked up to see a gorgeous, redheaded man staring out at the gathered throng with a bored expression on his face. Instantly she knew just who this man was.

_The Kazekage._

Suddenly he looked in her direction and Sakura let out a barely audible gasp and looked away, not wanting to appear rude. But she could feel his eyes boring into her as Baki led her forward to where she would be singing. He whispered to the girls playing the instruments, then they started up the tune for her song. As soon as her part came up, Sakura began to sing, surprised at how calm she sounded.

_Sakura sakura_

_Noyama mo sato mo_

_Miwatasu kagiri_

_Kasumi ka kumo ka_

_Asahi ni niou_

_Sakura sakura_

_Hana zakari_

She could still feel _his _gaze on her, and Sakura was nearly breathless.

_Sakura sakura_

_Yayoi no sora wa_

_Miwatasu kagiri_

_Kasumi ka kumo ka_

_Nioi zo izuru_

_Izaya izaya_

_Mini yu kan_

It didn't seem like a long song, but with the music and the fact that the lyrics weren't rushed, it was an alright length in the end. Risking a glance over at the table, Sakura saw that the Kazekage was whispering in Baki's ear, and the man nodded before coming over to her.

"Kazekage-sama has requested that you sing another song," he told her. "Do you know _Hakone Hachi Sato_?"

"H-hai."

Baki nodded to the musicians, and they started up the next tune and once again, Sakura sang.

_Hakone no yama ha tenka no ken_

_Hako tani kan mo mononarazu_

_Banjou no yama sen jin no tani_

_Mae ni sobie kouhou ni sasau _

_Kumo ha yama womeguri kiri ha tani wotozasu_

_Hiru nao kuraki sugi no namiki _

_Hitsuji chou no komichi ha koke nameraka _

_Kazuo kan niataruya man otto mo hiraku nashi _

_Tenka ni tabi suru gouki nomononofu_

_Dai katana koshi ni ashi da gake_

_Hachi sato no iwane fuminarasu _

_Kakukosoarishika ouji nomononofu_

This was a song that she knew from her childhood, one that her mother had sung to her a lot. So there was no problem whatsoever with her being able to remember it. But when Sakura accidentally looked over to where the Kazekage was sitting, she almost lost her place. The stare he was gracing her with was so intense, it sent shivers along her spine.

_Hakone no yama ha tenka no so_

_Fuka ,hosakinisa..soha, bin ko_

_Banjou no yama sen jin no tani_

_Mae ni sobie kouhou ni sasau _

_Kumo ha yama womeguri kiri ha tani wotozasu_

_Hiru nao kuraki sugi no namiki _

_Hitsuji chou no komichi ha koke nameraka _

_Kazuo kan niataruya man otto mo hiraku nashi _

_Yamano ni kari suru gouki nomasurao_

_Ryoujuu kata ni waraji gake_

_Hachi sato no iwane fumiyaburu _

_Kakukosoarikere kin tokino masurao_

Once she was done, there was silence, then applause started to be heard and she looked up to see that it was the Kazekage and his guests applauding her.

_Review! The most important thing in the entire world! Oh, and here are the translations for the songs. I found them on this really great website awhile ago, and I decided that this story was perfect for them!_

The first one, Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms:

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,

Blanketing the countryside,

As far as you can see.

Is it a mist, or clouds?

Fragrant in the morning sun.

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,

Flowers in full bloom.

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,

Across the Spring sky,

As far as you can see.

Is it a mist, or clouds?

Fragrant in the air.

Come now, come now,

Let's look, at last!

The second one is Hakone Mountains:

Hakone Mountains hard to cross,

The mighty fortress lies right here,

High up in the ranges, deepest in the dales,

Rising in front, peaking in the rear,

Oh, clouds around the tops, oh, mist fills the vales,

How dark are the cedar woods, huge trees in rows and rows,

See, the narrow winding lane that shines with moss,

Only the strongest man can keep the whole fortress from foes,

Bravest warriors who go on the road

Might have trod the rocks and ranges,

Trampling, climbing all out of the way,

Was it in this way they travelled in those days?

Hakone Mountains hard to cross,

The mighty fortress lies right here,

High up in the ranges, deepest in the dales,

Rising in front, peaking in the rear,

Oh, clouds around the tops, oh, mist fills the vales,

How dark are the cedar woods, huge trees in rows and rows,

See, the narrow winding lane that shines with moss,

Only the strongest man can keep the whole fortress from foes,

Bravest hunters who chase in the hills

With their hunting guns on their shoulders,

Trampling, climbing all out of the way,

Was it in this way they hunted in those days?


	3. Chapter 3

_**Geisha**_

**Chapter Three**

Sabaku no Gaara stared at the geisha before him as he clapped his hands together in appreciation. She was something else, that was for sure. Never before in his life had he ever seen someone with pink hair, and although that was what initially attracted his attention to her, the fact that she did happen to be beautiful was what kept his gaze on her. And then when she was singing, it was like an angel from above.

So he'd asked Baki to get her to sing again, one of his favourite songs, and she'd done it justice. As his aide approached him once more, Gaara indicated for him to lean closer, and this time when he whispered, it was a different order.

"Bring her over here," he commanded.

If Baki was surprised by this, he certainly didn't show it, and instead simply went over to the girl, speaking to her. Her eyes widened and she looked over to where Gaara was sitting, and from the look on her face, he just knew that under that makeup, she was surely blushing. He resisted the urge to smirk and watched as she was led over to him.

The grace with which she walked impressed him, and once she was standing before him, he was able to see a hint of the beauty that lie beneath her makeup. She bowed deeply before him, as best she could, he considered, in her elegant kimono. Gaara took the opportunity to eye her up and down and decided that he liked what he saw even more.

"You did well, tonight, Geisha," he commented.

The girl looked enquiringly at Baki, who nodded his head slightly. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama," she replied, her speech flawless and fluid despite the nerves he knew she must be feeling.

"Not many are familiar with Hakone Hachi Sato," he said. "It's something that I grew up with, and I suppose it's not exactly karyukai, material."

"I grew up with it too," she said, then her eyes widened slightly at her slip up.

Gaara smirked. "It's alright," he told her. "Come, stand beside me."

Her eyes widened again but she did as she was directed, coming around the table to stand to his left. For an instant, Gaara caught a glimmer of something in Baki's eye, but then the older man vanished from his sight and was replaced with the beautiful geisha. He wanted to know her name, so he asked her.

"What is your name?"

"Sakura, Kazekage-sama," she told him.

"Sakura," he murmured. It suited her.

* * *

Sakura wasn't sure why this was happening. That the Kazekage had requested a particular song, and then called her forward was one thing. But now she was at his side, which probably meant that he would want her to serve him, and engage in conversation with him! Despite all the practice she had talking to political figures and wealthy men, Sakura felt way out of her depth, and knew that there was no way that Tsunade-sama had intended for her to be here, doing this!

But, dammit! She was a geisha now, and she was determined to prove that she could handle anything that was thrown at her, so she squared her shoulders, allowed herself a moment to breathe, then looked up into the powerful red head's gaze and met him with a calm determination.

The smirk he threw her way threatened to disrupt her calm.

"So," he drawled, "you grew up with it. Where was that, exactly?"

"Konoha central, Kazekage-sama," she answered calmly. "District nine."

"A friend of mine grew up there as well," the red head commented. "Maybe you know him. Uzumaki Naruto?"

Sakura shook her head. The Kazekage looked like he was about to say something, but then a jug of saké was brought over and she wondered if he wanted her to serve some to him. She looked to see if he would indicate this, but he simply ignored it.

"You don't drink saké, my lord?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"It clouds judgement," he told her. "I find it's best to always have my wits about me."

Of course he would. As Kazekage, he would have a large number of enemies, and with the way politics were these days, most of them were probably here tonight. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It would definitely be the wisest course of action in his case. It was then a kettle of ocha was brought over, and Sakura could smell the blend almost instantly. It was really nice.

At his gesticulation, Sakura leaned over and picked the tea up, pouring it into the cup he proffered. She could feel him watching her as she poured, and had the distinct impression that he was sizing her up. It made her extremely nervous, and it was only her training that saved her hands from shaking.

For the next couple of hours Sakura stood at the Kazekage's side, serving him tea and listening as he spoke with his guests. The most amazing thing was that he asked her opinion on whatever subject he would touch on, from politics to economics and also the arts. Sakura learned that he enjoyed listening to someone play the shamisen and the koto.

Close to dawn, people started to leave as the festive mood of the ozashiki waned. Sakura was tired herself, but was well trained enough to hide it. The Kazekage eventually stood, a signal that the party was now over, but before he left, he turned to her and took her hand. Her eyes widened as he placed a hairclip in her hand, his fingers lingering in a sensual manner as he brought an end to their physical contact. She watched as he and a few of his guests then turned and left through a private exit, not looking back.

Sakura looked down at the hairclip and her eyes practically bugged out of her head when she saw that it was made of gold and studded with diamonds. What the…? Her eyes flew to where the Kazekage had been a moment ago, but he was gone. So then, what now? That question was answered when Shizune came up to her with the other girls and a guy that she was told was to escort them home.

"Did you have fun?" Shizune asked.

Sakura smiled a slow but happy smile. "I did, Shizune-neesan. I had a _lot _of fun!"

* * *

Gaara made his way out of there with his sister, brother and two of his closest friends. Baki also was following him, performing his duties to his Kazekage. There was a long corridor to traverse before they made it outside, and he took that moment to contemplate what he'd done. He'd given that geisha, Sakura, a very expensive gift that had been his mother's. Why? Well, whatever his reason, he knew that he had every intention of seeing her again.

As they neared the exit, Gaara thought on how he would get to see her. It was inexplicable, but he needed to see her. Then he realised the perfect way. In just a few weeks, his brother would be celebrating his birthday, and he could get Baki to ensure that she was there, entertaining the guests. Yes, Gaara could see the plan unravelling in his head.

At last they reached the exit and when they did, Gaara pulled Baki aside and said, "That geisha, Sakura."

"Yes, my Lord Kazekage?" Baki instantly responded.

"Make sure she attends at my brother's party," Gaara murmured to Baki.

"Will she be attending to you?" the older man asked.

Smirking, Gaara answered, "Naturally."

_Ocha: Green Tea._

_Saké: Japanese rice wine._

_Karyukai: The 'Flower and the Willow' world, the cultural world in which geisha live._

_Shamisen: __Three string banjo like instrument used in dance and singing. One of the geisha's main instruments._

_Koto: __A thirteen stringed harp type instrument, played flat on the ground._

Review! That is extremely important!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Geisha**_

Chapter Four

The door burst open and suddenly she was almost crushed to death in a massive hug. "Oh, Sakura! Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Shizune-neesan!" Sakura gasped, trying hard to breathe. "What are you talking about?"

The older woman pulled away and looked at her sternly. "You didn't tell me that the Kazekage had you serve him!" she chastised. "That had to be absolutely nerve-wracking!"

Sakura blushed slightly. At that moment, Sakura was in her room wearing nothing but a simple yellow yukata. She'd only been awake for about fifteen minutes before she was nearly suffocated by affection, but anyway. It was rather late in the afternoon, but her and Shizune were having the day off because of the fact that they'd been up all night thanks to last night's festivities.

"It's fine!" Sakura insisted. "I admit, I _was _nervous, but I kept my composure. I didn't fail you."

Shizune sighed. "I know you wouldn't disappoint me," she agreed. "I was just worried about you, that's all. You really were thrown into the deep end, you know."

"We all were," Sakura said, thinking of the other girls from last night.

Shizune gave her another, less dangerous hug, then left her alone, saying that she should revel in this opportunity to be free of her duties. The pinkette fully intended to, and she continued with what she'd been doing and headed off to the baths for a nice relaxing soak. Once she was done, she walked back to her room and changed into a simple yet beautiful kimono, the only thing she had left of her mother.

The hairclip that the Kazekage had given her was sitting on her vanity, and it was like it was staring at her. So she stared back at it for the longest time before snatching it off and shoving it in a drawer. She wasn't ready yet for what it might mean, even though she didn't know what else it would mean that a man would give her such a gift if he wasn't interested in her. But it was like she'd thought a moment ago; she wasn't ready. She hadn't even told Shizune-neesan about it.

Deciding to forget about it, at least for now, she gathered a few things together as well as some money, and headed out of there. Sakura wanted to go to the market to get some things for herself. She fully intended to splurge all her money, knowing that everything she had would be reimbursed once she received her payment from last night, and that should be tomorrow.

While out and about, Sakura ran into two people that she hardly knew but really wanted to get to know, Ino and Tenten, the girls from last night. "Oh my kami!" Ino exclaimed when she saw her. "You're Sakura aren't you? I saw you at the Kazekage's table! You're so lucky!"

Tenten smiled as well and looked on as Ino gave the pink haired girl a hug that rivalled Shizune and Tsunade's versions. "It's true," the brunette said. "You've only recently become a full geisha, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Just over a week ago," she confirmed.

"Well, I've been one for a few months," Ino said, "and Tenten just a few weeks longer than me. But you served the Kazekage! That's completely amazing!"

The blond hugged Sakura again, then Tenten asked, "We're doing some shopping. Would you like to join us?"

Sakura nodded. "That's why I'm out, too."

The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the stalls. Because they were all dressed like the other women in the street, they weren't proclaiming their geisha status. So the vendors at the stalls treated them like anyone else, and Sakura liked that feeling. Then, when their day was nearly done, they walked past the place they'd all been last night. The three of them stopped to look at it, each with their own different memories of last night.

"It really was fun," Ino sighed. "I met my neesan's danna last night."

"You met Deidara's danna?" Tenten almost squealed.

"Yup," Ino confirmed. "His name's Sasori, he's a red head, he's filthy rich and drop dead gorgeous."

A red head? Sakura thought on the red head that had apparently been captivated by her last night. She wondered what he was doing right now, and if he was thinking of her?

* * *

Gaara was tapping his fingers on his desk. His thoughts were consumed with his work, and only now had he stopped to allow himself a moment to his own thoughts. They quite naturally drifted to the beautiful geisha, Sakura, from his ozashiki the other night. It was unusual for a woman to occupy is thoughts the way this one was. Still, it had all happened only last night, and perhaps it would lose its shine after awhile. But then he remembered his command to Baki and he cursed lightly. He would be seeing her again, and soon.

Standing up, he made his way over to the window and looked down at the great city sprawled beneath him. He thought it ironic that he had more power and sway than the actual rulers of Konoha did. Money bought many things, and respect and power were just two examples. He had so much that he had enough to buy happiness, despite people's adamant rebuttals that that was impossible. Maybe it was true a little. Was he happy?

Pushing that thought away, he returned to his desk. It would still be a few weeks before he could see Sakura, and suddenly Gaara didn't want to wait. He stood again and went to his door, opening it to find his assistant talking to Baki. Perfect. He motioned for the older man to come to him and he did, then Gaara made his order.

"I want to know which okiya Sakura stays at," he said.

For the first time in awhile, surprise registered on Baki's face, though it didn't last long. "She lives at the Ryū Okiya," he answered.

Gaara was impressed, and extremely glad. The Ryū had an outstanding reputation, since it was the one that the legendary Slug Princess, Tsunade, had come from herself. They were definitely a much better okiya than some, who still practiced some of the older traditions from their heritage. He made the decision then that he was going to go see her. Baki wasn't going to like it, but he really didn't care about that.

"What's my itinerary for the day?" he asked his assistant.

"You have a meeting with the finance director, then your sister is coming around to talk about Kankurou-sama's birthday."

"Cancel that," Gaara commanded. "I'm leaving early today."

Ignoring their stupefied looks, he turned on his heel and returned to his office to get ready to go meet his beautiful cherry blossom.

* * *

Sakura had had so much fun going out with Ino and Tenten, and the three of them had decided that they would be best friends together, though she had the feeling that Ino would end up her 'best friend'. In any case, Sakura was back home now, and putting away all of her purchases. It would be getting dark soon, and she felt that she really needed to have a bath to clean herself off from the day. Perhaps she would use a jasmine scent in her bathwater today.

Twenty minutes later she was immersed in sweet smelling jasmine and lemongrass hot water, soothing her troubles away, and she had enough of these. Her mind wandered to her family, at least, the missing one. Every day she missed her mother even more, her death still scarring her even after ten years. When her father had remarried, the woman had been jealous of the young girl on the verge of womanhood, and had contrived to have her thrown out on the streets. It still burned a hole in Sakura's heart that her father thought her to be a lying, no good, scarlet woman.

The truth of the matter was that she was none of those things, and the day that she'd been thrown out, her stepmother had sneered at her and forbidden her from ever setting foot in their home ever again. Sakura was lucky that she'd met Shizune-neesan, otherwise she probably would have ended up in a brothel, working as a whore.

She was enjoying her relaxing bath when there was a discreet knock at the door before a maiko entered. "Excuse me, Sakura-chan," the girl spoke. "Shizune-san wishes to see you. You have a visitor."

Wondering if it was Ino or Tenten, Sakura rose out of the water, quickly towelling herself off with a towel the girl handed her, then throwing on a lovely pale green yukata. She ran her fingers through her hair quickly as she made her way to the visitor's room, and when she got there, she froze, every muscle in her body refusing to respond to her. Oh, kami! _He _was here! But _why?!_

The gorgeous red head turned at her entrance and the first words out of his mouth had her almost melting into a puddle of goo. "Hello Sakura," the Kazekage greeted.

Please review! I hope I did well with this chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

_**Geisha**_

_Chapter Five_

How could Shizune-neesan do this to her? With no real warning, an extremely powerful and handsome man was here to see her, and she wasn't even dressed appropriately! Sakura could only blush to her roots as she thought about her inappropriate appearance. He smirked, though, and it made her even more embarrassed about the situation. But then she forced herself to regain her composure and she bowed elegantly, once again remembering her manners.

"Greetings, Kazekage-sama," she spoke. "To what do I owe the honour?"

He came forward then, capturing her chin with his fingers. He looked into her eyes and Sakura felt renewed nerves at the frank look he was giving her. His thumb began to lightly stroke her cheek, causing a pleasant shiver to run through her.

"I had to see for myself if you were truly as beautiful as I remembered," he murmured, and she found herself once more fighting a blush.

"I hope I have not disappointed you, my lord," she murmured right back, and he smirked again in satisfaction.

"You have more than met my expectations," he told her. "I asked your nee-san not to warn you I was here. I wanted to see your natural beauty."

Now she couldn't help it. Sakura flushed at his words and heard him chuckle as he released her chin. He stepped back and bowed lightly, and the manners she'd been brought up with had her bowing back deeper. They stood there a moment, neither saying a word, then he spoke again.

"As I said, you more than meet my expectations," he told her. "Your beauty outshines any memory I had."

Sakura blushed once more, staring at the ground, her feet, the cabinet to the left, anywhere but at the man before her. But then she almost squeaked in surprise when he came forward again and took hold of her hand, bringing it up to rest on his chest.

"My brother's having a party for his tanjōbi soon," he told her. "I have already arranged for you to be there, as my personal geisha."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "Your personal…?" She couldn't finish the sentence.

The red head before her nodded. "You've sparked my interest, Sakura," he told her. "It takes a lot for a woman to do that. So I intend to explore my interest as far as it will go."

He leaned down, and for an instant, she was sure that he would kiss her. But he didn't. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered to her, sending shivers along her spine.

"In three weeks," he told her. "I will see you again then, if not before."

With that, he pulled away, bowed to her, then left the room. Sakura was too shocked to do anything other than stand there and let him go without a word.

* * *

As he left the okiya, Gaara's mind landed on two things. One, several maiko and geisha were staring at him with a look that had him believing that soon, a lot of people would know that the Kazekage had casually waltzed in to see a geisha, and one that, apparently, hadn't been one for that long. He'd been surprised to hear from her nee-san that Sakura was relatively new to her full status. But it didn't matter to him at all.

The second thing on Gaara's mind was a question, one that had kept him awake once he'd gotten home in the early hours of the morning. What was he considering actually doing with the geisha? He had no idea if this was a passing thing, or if she would manage to keep his attention. There had been someone else, once, but once he'd gone past the surface, there had been only ugliness underneath. But with Sakura, it felt different. For one thing, he'd given her a valuable gift. It was so unlike him, though, and he wasn't really sure what was going on inside his own head.

A stray thought entered his mind and Gaara grimaced. Remembering that he'd cancelled on Temari, he knew that she was going to yell at him the next time she saw him. But he didn't really care about that at all. So she would be mad at him for awhile, it was no skin off his nose. It would just mean enduring her 'silent treatment' that she thought bugged him, but actually made him feel relieved.

Once he got home, Gaara found that both of his siblings were waiting for him. "Where have _you_ been?" Temari demanded. "Baki told us you cancelled your appointments and simply left! And he wouldn't tell us where you went, either!"

Gaara really didn't want to have to deal with this. "It's none of your business!" he snapped, earning a narrowing of the eyes and a glare from his eldest sibling.

"It damned well is when you cancel on _me_, you bastard!" Temari snapped.

Kankurou, however, was smirking. "I bet I know where you went," he commented.

"_You know!?"_ Temari screeched.

"Our little brother's got a new obsession," he said. "I could tell, last night."

"What obsession!?"

"I'll give you one guess, Tem. This obsession has two legs, pink hair, and can sing _Hakone Hachi Sato_."

Temari's eyes widened as Gaara's narrowed. "What?" Kankurou asked almost innocently. "I saw the way you looked at her, and I noticed what you gave her, too. Plus, you forget that when you can't sleep, you end up in the third study, and I can hear everything in there from my room. _Everything_."

Gaara was glaring at his brother like there was no tomorrow. "I'll kill you," he seethed.

Kankurou just shrugged. "Yeah, yeah," he blew off the death threat. "Just remember, little brother, that it's _my_ party that you've 'invited' her to."

Gaara glared even harder then stormed off.

* * *

It took awhile for Sakura to recover from the shock, and by then it was dinner time in the okiya. Wordlessly she made her way to her room, where she fully intended to eat alone so she could digest what had happened. She really couldn't believe it to be true, and yet…

The Kazekage had come to see her, _in the okiya, _and had told her that he wanted her to be at his brother's tanjōbi-kai to _serve him_! Surely she'd simply fallen asleep in the tub and was dreaming the whole thing? But when she pinched herself, it _hurt_. So then what was going on? This was _not _happening!

And yet the fact remained that it had. But then… oh! Shizune-neesan was definitely going to have a lot of questions, so Sakura knew that she'd better have some kind of answer ready for her, if only to satisfy the older woman's curiosity. But what could she possibly say? 'I must have impressed the Kazekage enough for him to want to see me again. Oh, and by the way, he gave me a really expensive gift?'

A knock at the door heralded a minarai bringing her a tray with her dinner on it. Sakura allowed her to place the tray on a table, then shooed the girl from her room. Alone once more, Sakura's mind returned to the enigmatic Kazekage as she munched absently on her food. If she looked at it logically and aloofly, it seemed that the Kazekage was interested in her because she was beautiful. She knew she was, there were no compunctions about that.

In her musings, she finished her food without realising, but looked down at the empty tray without surprise. Sighing, she stood and took the tray to the shoji door, sliding it open and placing the tray down, knowing that someone would be along to remove it, then went back in, extinguishing the lights. Moving to her sleeping mat, she got in, closing her eyes and wondering if she'd dream of a certain red head tonight.

_Ryū: Means dragon. (Missed it from last chapter.)_

_Tanjōbi: Birthday._

_Tanjōbi-kai: Birthday party._

_Minarai: Apprentices before they are Maiko._

_Shoji: Sliding door made of paper._

Please don't forget to review!


	6. Chapter 6

_A bit later with this update than I'd planned, because I've been really busy lately, but it's done now. It feels a bit like a filler chapter, for some reason. Anyway, enjoy._

_Chapter Six_

Life returned to normal at the okiya after the Kazekage's visit, other than the occasional gossip uttered by maiko and minarai, but it didn't impact on the way they all behaved otherwise. There were still other clients to be entertained, and really, the only time Sakura had any actual time to think about the tanjōbi butō-kai was when things were all done for the day, or night, and she settled in to sleep. And when she did think of it all, she was extremely nervous.

But finally, after two weeks of late night worrying, Sakura had decided that she was going to approach it the way she would any other job. Or at least try to, anyway. So far, she wasn't really succeeding. Shizune was trying to get her mind off of it all, though. And then there was Ino and Tenten. Sakura was maintaining a friendship with them, and they seemed to be more excited about the upcoming party than Sakura, and she was the one going!

When the day finally _did _arrive, her clothes were scattered about the room, because it was taking her a while to decide on what she would be wearing, even though her choice was limited to her more ornate kimonos. Still, Sakura was frantically searching for the _perfect _one, and it was driving her nuts! Was she going to have to go out and buy a new one?

That thought was tempting, but only to the point in which she acknowledged that the tanjōbi was _tonight_!

Still, there were a few more kimonos left to fret over and discard. And never let it be said that Sakura wasn't thorough! In any case, it seemed that she was going to have to simply pick the best of the bunch, whichever one that was.

It ended up being a white one with red trimming, and the obi was red and gold. The kimono also had cherry blossoms embroidered into the material. It was one of her favourites… but still… At least it went well with the gift that the Kazekage had given her. Sakura had decided that it was time to wear the hairclip.

In a few hours, the Kazekage's right-hand-man was coming by to instruct her on what would be required of her as the Kazekage's personal geisha for the evening. Baki had already been by a few days ago to discuss some preliminary items, but there would be far more detail today. Shizune-neesan was going to be there, too, as she had a lot of questions herself. She was really worried about what the Kazekage wanted from her protégé.

There was a knock, then her shoji was slid open and a young maiko entered. Sakura was a little embarrassed, since she was practically half-naked, but she was a little put-out that the girl hadn't waited for an answer before coming in.

"Eriko," she chastised. "You should have waited for me to answer!"

The girl blushed. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she apologised. "I was distracted and forgot!"

Sakura gathered a yukata off the floor and pulled it on before asking, "What is it you want?"

Eriko had looked away as she'd dressed, and now looked at her. "I was sent to tell you that the Kazekage's man, Baki, is waiting in the front entrance," she said.

A flutter of panic swelled through Sakura. Baki was here already! But it wasn't time yet! Still, she managed to maintain her composure and followed Eriko to the main entrance, where indeed the older man was waiting.

"Ah, Sakura," he greeted. "I see you're not ready yet."

"I apologise," she told him. "I was given to believe that you wouldn't be here for a few more hours."

Baki looked a little contrite. "I suppose you have me there," he admitted. "I just wanted to make sure that everything goes perfect tonight. Gaara's never really bothered with having a personal geisha for parties like this."

Sakura's eyebrow rose. "I'm surprised," she commented. "I would have thought that a man of his rank and standing would have one at his beck and call already."

"It's true, he probably should have already," Baki admitted. "But there's you now."

Sakura flushed and looked away, but the man before her caught it. "I'm surprised that a geisha with your training, not to mention considering who your neesan is, would blush like this."

"I-I guess there's something about him that makes me feel like I'm still a minarai," she admitted.

Baki smirked. "No matter," he said. "Why don't you sit down while we wait for Shizune? We have a lot to discuss."

…..

That was an understatement. Hours later, Sakura and Shizune sat in the former's room, Baki having left only ten minutes or so ago. Both their heads were reeling with what the man had told them, and the younger girl's nerves were threatening to snap. There was _sooo _much that she had to do, though it may seem like so little to anyone else! Apparently, she was basically going to be like an accessory on the Kazekage's arm, but still have to have enough of a head on her shoulders to hold a complex conversation. People were going to expect her to participate in discussions along with the Kazekage!

Then, once everyone was seated, she and the other personal geisha there, were going to have to perform. But Sakura wasn't going to be singing tonight, she was going to be dancing. Nervous enough as she had been, when Baki had told her that, she'd had a minor panic attack, but had managed to hide it from him. Dancing was the bane of her existence, though she was flawless at it now, thanks to years of practice. But she'd had so much trouble with it in the beginning, and had always preferred to sing or play instruments. But at least Sakura knew that those years of practice had made her as graceful as any other geisha.

"I know what you're thinking," Shizune said. "I can tell by the way your nose is scrunching. It's the dancing, isn't it?"

Sakura sighed and gave a small nod. "I know I'm much better at it," she admitted. "I just wish I'd had more warning about it, that's all."

The older woman smiled. "Don't worry," she said. "I know you'll be fine. I just wish I could be there to help you, though you do have to move on with solo performances, like tonight."

"You can't always be there, neesan," Sakura said. "I'm completely capable of handling this."

"I know," Shizune said, a little shine in her eyes. "I'm so terribly proud of you."

Sakura blushed prettily, beaming from the compliment.

Getting ready took a little while, as it usually did. All the necessary make-up needed to be in place, and her kimono needed to be perfect. As it was winter, Sakura was also wearing a three quarter length haori over her kimono. Her feet were adorned with tabi socks and zori sandals, and her hair was up in the traditional shimada style. Soon Baki would return to escort her to the venue for the party, and then she would be asked to perform.

Her nerves were settling after the initial shock of finding out about the dancing, and now Sakura was putting on her well-practiced mask of elegance that she had for formal occasions such as this. Even though the thought of seeing the Kazekage set her heart a flutter, she was hiding it behind her sophisticated mask. She could only hope that actually seeing him didn't cause it to slip.

She'd been truthful with Baki before, there _was _something about the powerful red head that made her feel like an apprentice. What it was, she wasn't sure, but she was determined to figure it all out. A knock at the door heralded the arrival of a minarai that informed her that it was time, so Sakura made her way out to the front where she was shocked to see that the Kazekage himself had come to get her.

Desperately ignoring her fast beating heart, Sakura offered up a small prayer to Aizen-Myoo, and stepped up to the handsome red head that offered his arm to her…

_We'll be getting into the thick of things next chapter. Please remember to review! Oh, and before I forget, here's this chapter's glossary:_

_Butō-Kai. Dance, ball._

_Haori. __Jacket worn over kimono by both men and women._

_Tabi. Traditional Japanese three-toed socks._

_Zori. Traditional sandals._

_Shimada. Traditional Geisha hairstyle._

_Aizen-Myoo. Japanese god of love, worshipped by prostitutes, landlords, singers and musicians. Despite his ferocious appearance (he has a third eye vertically placed between his two other eyes and a lion's head in his hair) he is considered to be beneficent to mankind. Originally he was a god of the Shingon and Tendai and represented love that changes into desiring 'enlightenment'. He is also sometimes represented as being female._


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